The Federal Government says Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine doses will specifically target hard-to-reach people in riverine areas, desert areas, security-compromised areas and the elderly.
It said this is because they are people who may find it difficult to leave their homes to the health facility for second dose vaccination.
Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, who confirmed receipt of 177,600 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccines disclosed that it was part of the 29,850,000 doses that the Federal Government of Nigeria procured from the AFREXIM Bank through the African Union.
The balance will be delivered over the coming months.
“We have the capacity to store and distribute this vaccine all the way to the point of administration as we have walk-in freezers in all 36 States plus FCT.
“The Johnson and Johnson vaccine is stored at temperatures of +20C to +80C which is the temperature in which most of our routine immunization vaccines are stored”.
Shuaib further said as a result of the leadership provided by the Presidential Steering Committee and the Federal Ministry of Health, NPHCDA in collaboration with partners, have mapped out the best strategies in targeting different segments of Nigeria’s populations because of the differences in vulnerability, age and geographical constraints.
Shuaib emphasised that the Nigerian government is committed to safe, equitable and effective COVID-19 vaccination of all eligible persons in the country.
“The availability of different vaccine brands does not in any way mean that some categories of people are selected for high-quality vaccines while others are targeted for low-quality vaccines.
“All COVID-19 vaccines approved by the World Health Organisation are safe and can deliver adequate protection against the disease.
“It is just the same way as you have Paracetamol manufactured by different pharmaceutical companies, but all deliver pain relief.
Shuiab further reiterated that government will continue to count on media for the dissemination of true and accurate information to keep Nigerians informed and educated about COVID-19 vaccination.
“We also hope that those who are misinforming people would begin to understand the need for Nigeria and the rest of the world to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and recover from the adversities it has imposed on our economies and social lives.
“The World Health Organisation(WHO) Country Representative, Walter Kazadi Mulombo said the Johnson & Johnson (J&J)/Janssen vaccine we have today, was listed for emergency use by WHO on March 12, 2021and the vaccine has been authorised for use in Europe, the United States and other countries.
“As the only single-dose COVID-19 vaccine approved for use to date, the vaccine may be an important tool for accessing hard-to-reach populations, thus playing a key role in preventing infections and reducing deaths across Nigeria.
“WHO had on many occasions, commended the Government, including the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC), FMOH and NPHCDA for the successful completion of the first phase of the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out with the vaccination of the front-line workers and other priority groups who are at high risk of COVID-19.”
Kazadi further said Nigeria’s preparation for the second phase of the COVID-19 vaccination, involving more resources and logistics, is highly commendable.
“Moreover, a multi-sectorial approach at the different level of the Government has been set-up to address issues around COVID-19 vaccine hesitancies; If any.
“As I always mentioned at different fora, vaccines are a critical tool in the battle against COVID-19.
“These vaccines are safe and effective and will be the game-changer: but for the foreseeable future, we must continue wearing masks, physically distance and avoid crowds.”
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